George Will's Incoherent Critics
At a minimum, the back-to-back anti-nation building columns from George Will have nicely illuminated the strategic choices faced by the United States. Unfortunately, most of Will's critics seem intent on mischaracterizing the debate. Here's Robert Kagan:
To withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan simultaneously would be to abandon American interests and allies in the Persian Gulf and greater Middle East. The consequences of such a retreat would be to shift the balance of influence in the region decidedly away from pro-U.S. forces in the direction of the most radical forces in Tehran, as well as toward al Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Taliban, to name just the most prominent beneficiaries. Long-time allies of the United States would either have to accommodate to these radical forces and fall under their sway, or take matters into their own hands. What Will is proposing would constitute the largest strategic setback in American history.
Ah yes. A calm, rational appraisal of the situation. The only thing missing was a reference to Hitler and Neville Chamberlain (although I suspect that will follow in a formal op-ed).
Kagan refers to "interests" in the Middle East as if this ends the debate. It doesn't. It is the debate. The point I take Will to be making is that it is not in America's interests to garrison large numbers of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq and use those soldiers to try and pick political winners and losers among the various factions contending for power.
Kagan is worried that the consequence of a new strategy (which he absurdly, offensively but alas, not surprisingly, calls "a retreat") would be to empower anti-American forces, when there is just as much evidence that the American presence and support for its supposed allies in the region is a catalyst of anti-Americanism. Do we have to remind Kagan of the point Paul Wolfowitz made about the American garrison in Saudi Arabia inspiring bin Laden and his holy warriors? Or the one Gen. McChrystal made about the antipathy people feel toward foreign military forces on their soil?
